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Re: Skeps - good resources to learn more about em?

Originally Posted by Yunzow

I just had some curiosities about the thinking and the design as might influence my beekeeping.
For example, why the singular entrance hole and so small.

The AMM colonies which are/were kept in skeps (in the heathlands of Germany) are/were very small by your standards. When it came time to select colonies to keep for the next season, those which were both smaller and larger than appropriate for the size of the skep were culled.

Natural Bee Husbandry (published in UK where I think they are legal) has an article about them, which piqued my curiosity.fixed-comb

Debatable. Although there's no specific prohibition of skeps or other forms of fixed-comb hive in the legislation - Inspectors are empowered to take whatever steps they consider necessary to assure themselves that an apiary is disease-free. So - should Inspectors want to make a thorough examination, then they are authorised by law to physically remove each comb - which places any form of fixed-comb hive in some jeopardy.

Those Warre beekeepers who adhere to a fixed-comb methodology are particularly vocal in their protests about (what they see as) such hive destruction.
LJ

Re: Skeps - good resources to learn more about em?

Thank you very much for your reply Little John!

Originally Posted by little_john

The AMM colonies which are/were kept in skeps (in the heathlands of Germany) are/were very small by your standards. When it came time to select colonies to keep for the next season, those which were both smaller and larger than appropriate for the size of the skep were culled.

Debatable. Although there's no specific prohibition of skeps or other forms of fixed-comb hive in the legislation - Inspectors are empowered to take whatever steps they consider necessary to assure themselves that an apiary is disease-free. So - should Inspectors want to make a thorough examination, then they are authorised by law to physically remove each comb - which places any form of fixed-comb hive in some jeopardy.

Those Warre beekeepers who adhere to a fixed-comb methodology are particularly vocal in their protests about (what they see as) such hive destruction.
LJ